03 September 2007

Doctor Who News

As anyone who knows me knows, Doctor Who (the long running UK Sci-Fi series) is one of my dearest passions. The Beeb has just updated the world on the future of the series and its spin-offs, and for those of you who don't meticulously comb the Who-blogs as I do, here are some things to look forward to:

Series Three continues to air on SCI-FI in the US on Fridays at 9/8c. Be sure to catch the second part of the brilliant "Human Nature," titled "The Family of Blood," this weekend!

Torchwood starts airing this Saturday on BBC America at 9/8c, after showings of the Doctor Who Series One Finale and the 2006 Christmas Special, "The Christmas Invasion." Torchwood follows the adventures of an elite and wildly dysfunctional crime-fighting team, led by Who-favourite Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who scavenge and utilize alien technology recovered from the time/space rift which exists under Cardiff Bay in Wales. Think of it as the dark, psycho-sexual Angel to Doctor Who's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Angel-meets-The-X-Files-meets-CSI:Cardiff. The show also stars Naoko Mori (Ab Fab, Doctor Who "Aliens of London") and Eve Myles (Doctor Who "The Unquiet Dead"). The series premiere is called "Everything Changes."

UPDATE: Torchwood broke all BBC America records for its premiere last Saturday, with almost 500,000 viewers tuning in for "Everything Changes." Of course, this week's episode, "Day One," is the now-infamous "orgasmic alien" episode. Let's see if the ratings...err...skyrocket for that!

The 2007 Christmas Special, "Voyage of the Damned," written by showrunner Russell T Davies, has already filmed. It guest stars Kylie Minogue, as the Doctor's one-off companion, and classic series regular Geoffrey Palmer ("Doctor Who and The Silurians", "The Mutants"), and takes place on the Titanic. It will air, unsurprisingly, this Christmas Day.

Series Four has begun filming in Wales. The Doctor's companion for this Series will be comedienne Catherine Tate ("Am I bovvered?!"), reprising her character, Donna, last seen in the (wildly uneven) 2006 Christmas Special, "The Runaway Bride." Series Three companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) will return to join the Doctor and Donna for the last half of the series. One episode has been confirmed to be called "Planet of the Ood," and will see the return of the tentacle-faced slave-race from Series Two.

In somewhat strange, but comforting, news, the BBC today confirmed that David Tennant will star in the 2008 Christmas special, following Series Four. After that, Doctor Who will take a "lite year," postponing Series Five until 2010 in favour of 3 - 90 minute specials during 2009. (Series Four will air in Spring 2008.) David Tennant will star in all of these. Series Five has been already given the green light -- however, speculation as to whether or not Tennant will star in the fifth new series continues. It is rumoured that the gruelling production schedule, Tennant starring in Hamlet with Patrick Stewart in the West End, and BBC One's changeover to HD are responsible for this odd schedule. Apparently, this happens a lot in UK television. (So... kind of a bummer, but we are guaranteed at least three more years of Nu-Who!)

Series Two of Torchwood continues filming in and around Cardiff. It has been confirmed (photographically, above) that James Marsters (Spike from Buffy/Angel) will be guest starring as a time agent who gets hot and heavy with Cpt. Jack (hot!). Also, Freema Agyeman will reprise her role of once and future Who companion, Martha Jones, for three episodes with the hypersexual secret society. Series Two will air beginning in January of 2008.

And finally, the other Doctor Who spinoff, "The Sarah Jane Adventures," starring the ever-lovely Elisabeth Sladen, will air later this month. It has been confirmed that the Slitheen will be making an appearance in the first episode, a Gorgon (i.e.: Medusa) will appear later on, and, I'm sure, loads of other cool stuff. The pilot for this series, "Invasion of the Bane," was quite delightful, so hopes are high!

And that's all I got for now. Happy viewing!

UPDATE: The Sarah Jane Adventures have been confirmed to be premiering on September 24th on CBBC. The first episode will be called "Revenge of the Slitheen," and will be two parts.

driouxciper

"I just sit in the corner and make sarcastic comments periodically..."

Andrew Edwards is a Chicago-based film and theatre composer. His music has been performed and screened in theatres across the US and the UK. His band, Cellardoor, put out three albums between 2004 - 2006. They are all available on iTunes.His film and theatre music can be seen/heard at his official website.He blogs as driouxcipher on sites including Film Music Review, The Fagulous Blog, and (infrequently) The Music Slut.